Baby, One More Time
by zelda49
Summary: -full cast apearance, past and present- Sequal to 'Hanging By A Moment', third in the MaddieDanny series. Life continues for the CSIs, bringing with it happiness and heartache. Extended description inside. See also 'It Could Happen To You'. *ON HIATUS*
1. Yesterday Is Gone

**Author's notes and summary:** Welcome back to Zelda's CSI:NY Superstore! It's been a while—a very _long_ while—since I finished the second story of this trilogy, and I'm not sure if anyone is still interested in the outcome. _I _am, though, and so the story continues J

And what a story it will be! With some spoilers from seasons 2 and 3, this is the big blockbuster finish, chocked full of old storylines and new ones. If you think you know how it's gonna end, maybe you do because you've read the first two (if you haven't, you might want to in order to get the full breadth of this one). But the journey there will be twisty and turny, providing detail and explanation for the original events and adding new ones along the way. If you're looking for humor, romance, angst, fluff, drama, joy, sorrow, reality, or a little fantasy, you've come to the right place.

If you're looking for an extra added challenge, pay special attention to the chapter titles. Music has always been an important part of my life, and many of the titles of chapters in my other stories have musical themes. This time they _all_ will, whether it's a song title, a lyric, a piece of a lyric, or a mutation of title or lyric. Bonus points will be awarded to those of you that correctly identify the song or artist from which each chapter takes its name ;-)

_Baby, One More Time _will also feature as much of the entire cast as possible. Danny and Maddie will be here, of course, along with Mac, Stella, Aiden, Don, Sheldon, and the other OCs I've created. Also included this time around is Lindsay, in what I hope is a better setup for her character than what they've done with her on the show (like her, hate her, or indifferent, you have to admit they have not done very well by her), making this now officially AU (or should I say ZU: Zelda's Universe). Adam will make a few appearances too, as, I think, will Sid—they're too much fun not to include. The newly revealed Reed Garrett will also turn up here and there. The only regular or semi-regular cast member that won't be appearing is Peyton, and I'm a little sad about that. She and Mac play so well off each other on screen, and I've grown attached to her, but she doesn't fit with this story (can you imaging a Mac/Stella story with Peyton around?!).

None of this would be happening without the support of my very good friend, editor, beta reader, sounding board, and hand-holder, Sarah, for whom Sheldon's OC girlfriend is named. She encourages me when I need it, calms me down when my perfectionism kicks in, and compliments me far more than I deserve. I wasn't even sure I was going to write the third story in this series—I was exhausted and uninspired, and considering moving on to something different. It was Sarah who reminded me of my love for this story and these characters, and who was excited enough for the both of us in the beginning. She sparked my imagination and got my mojo working again, and is the biggest reason I dove back in to complete the series. This one is for her.

Now that you've waded through all that, lol, on to the good part! Please R&R, and above all, enjoy!

_

* * *

_ _So much can happen in a year_, Dantrell mused. _A year ago I was just some schlub bussing tables and shelving books, trying to pay tuition and take care of Gran and Trina._ His eyes wandered up to the stands where his family sat, proud smiles on both their faces. _And now I'm graduating from college, magna cum laude in chemistry _and _biology._

He flashed his sister a smile, his heart swelling at the sight of her. _A year ago, she was just a little girl_, he reminisced. _Now she's sixteen, finishing up her sophomore year in high school already, becoming a responsible young woman. I'm so lucky to be her brother._

His eyes shifted to Shayla, beaming just as proudly beside Trina. _A year ago she was still very much a scared kid—Shayla Green, not knowing who she really was or what she was going to become. _He grinned up at her, more excited about the way her life was shaping up than he was even of his own. _Now she's Shayla Messer, Business major at NYU, daughter of Detective Messer and Miss Parrish, and my best friend. That punk ex-boyfriend of hers robbed a man at gunpoint when he got out of Rikers, too, so he's locked up at Fishkill where he can't hurt her anymore. She's safe and happy, and on the right path._

On Shayla's lap sat her little sister Carrie. _A year ago Carrie was a miracle baby_, Dantrell remembered, _brought to full term by the grace of God and the sheer will of her parents. Now she's a healthy toddler, running around the house learning to say more new words every day._

As if thinking the same thought, Maddie reached over and smoothed the little girl's hair, squeezing Shayla's shoulder affectionately before reaching for Danny's hand. _A year ago they were still mourning the loss of their first child_, Dantrell thought sadly, _and were fighting so hard for the two that came into their lives. Now they're a contented little family, in it together for the long haul. And I'm honored to be a part of that._

His eyes lingered on his family in the stands for a moment longer before he was brought back from his thoughts by the faint sound of singing.

"Hit me, baby, one more time…"

He turned and smiled at the woman next to him. _A year ago I didn't even know Sayeeda Bertrand, but now she's closer to me than anyone else in the world after Shayla. My lab partner, my classmate, my friend._ Aloud he simply asked, "Why are you singing Brittany Spears songs?"

Sayeeda chuckled wryly. "My neighbor had that cranked up this morning and played it over and over, so it's stuck in my head now. But it _is_ kinda fitting."

"How's that?"

"Well, how many graduations are you attending or have you already been to lately?"

He ticked them off on his fingers as he spoke. "There was yours at Christmas when you finished your first bachelor's degree, there was my high school friend's last week over at Rutgers, ours today, Detective Burn's next week in Virginia…"

"See?" she interrupted. "A ton. So let's just do this…hit me with the speeches and the cap and gown and the celebrations, baby…"

Dantrell grinned at her as the keynote speaker took the stage in front of them. "…one more time," he finished.

She laughed. "You got it, darlin'."

∞∞∞

Mac opened the door wearily and dragged himself inside his apartment. It had been a long, exhausting day and all he wanted was to rest and unwind in front of the TV. He pulled off his suit jacket and draped it over a kitchen chair, retrieving a bottle of beer from the fridge and kicking off his shoes.

Then he heard noise coming from the bedroom. _What was that?_

He moved slowly down the short hallway, leaving the beer on the kitchen table. The noise repeated itself and he recognized it immediately—someone moving around, walking, opening drawers. He caught a glimpse of a figure as it passed by the doorway and knew instantly what was happening.

"Mac, is that you?"

A smile broke his tired expression. "Yeah, Stella. It's me." He slipped into the room and slid his arms around her, kissing her gently. "What are you doing here?"

Her arms went around his neck and she grinned. "A girl can't come visit her boyfriend?"

"I wish you wouldn't call me that," he shuddered. "You know how much I love you, but the word 'boyfriend' doesn't exactly fit me."

It was a complaint she had heard many times before. "What should I call you then?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "My gentleman caller?"

"Since you came here, that would make _you_ the caller," he reasoned, hints of a smile pulling again at his lips.

She nodded her head with a laugh. "I guess it would." Kissing him once more before releasing him, she turned back to the dresser drawer she had been looking through.

His hand brushed over her shoulders, unwilling to break contact with her until the last possible second. "I thought you were packing for Virginia," he continued, still trying to figure out why she was standing in his bedroom.

"I was—am," she informed him. "We're leaving tomorrow for Aiden's graduation, but there were a few things I needed that were here."

The smile returned to Mac's face as he plopped down on the bed. "I see."

"So how was your day?" Stella asked, folding a shirt as she spoke.

"The usual," he replied. "Busy." He swung his feet around and stretched out, lacing his fingers behind his head, his eyes following her as she moved around the room.

"Anything exciting happen after I left?"

He thought back. "Maddie stopped by with little Carrie, who has now learned to say 'everything's connected'," he chuckled, "at least in a very toddler way. And Dantrell came to see me."

She paused in her packing. "Dantrell Baker? What did he want?"

"He graduated yesterday from City College," Mac explained, "and wanted to remind me of something I said to him a few years ago."

Stella put two and two together. "'I might have a place for you in my lab some day'," she remembered. "You told him that at the Eastside High science fair five years ago."

"Good memory," he smiled. "And now he wants to know if I meant it."

"What did you tell him?"

Mac sighed. "I told him if he put his application in the same way everyone else did, I'd be happy to consider it, but that he shouldn't expect any favors just because I know him."

"And?" she prompted.

He chuckled again. "His was practically beaming, Stella. He told me that all he wanted was a chance, and that he was going to earn everything on his own merits."

"He's a good kid," she smiled, placing the last item in her suitcase. "His grandmother raised him with strong values."

"That she did," he agreed.

She zipped the piece of luggage shut. "Okay, that's everything I need from here. All I have to do now is pick up Aiden's graduation gift."

He rolled over onto his side and took her hand in his. "Give her my best when you see her."

Stella sat down beside him on the bed and caressed his face. "I will." She leaned down and kissed him softly, delighting in the shy smile that formed on his lips when she pulled back. "I love you, Mac Taylor."

He noted the happiness in her eyes and felt it wash over him as well. "I love you, too, Stella Bonasera."

∞∞∞

"Out of all the places in Charlottesville you could have taken us," Danny grinned widely, following Aiden into the little family diner, "you picked _this_ place?"

The newly minted Master of Arts in Cultural Anthropology swatted her former colleague's shoulder. "I love this place!" she retorted. "It's clean and inexpensive, the staff is really friendly, and they have the best barbeque…"

Don pulled a chair out for her at the table she chose and seated himself beside her, rolling his eyes. "The best _barbeque_? Come on, Aid, you're going Dixie on me," he teased. "What happened to that tough Brooklyn girl that I used to know?"

"Oh she's still in there," Aiden insisted with a twinkle in her dark eyes. "She's just…developed an appreciation for southern culture, that's all."

"Ah, but the true test of southern-ness is the affinity for grits," Maddie grinned.

"So?" Sheldon questioned. "How often do you eat 'em, Aiden? Be honest!"

A faint pink crept into her cheeks. "Only once or twice…a week…"

The little group laughed merrily and Aiden quickly changed the subject. "So Shayla, how was your first year at NYU?"

The girl smiled, a touch of awe in her expression. "It was…just…wow. I still can't believe I go there," she replied.

"It's an amazing opportunity," Stella chimed in.

"It is," Shayla agreed. "And a lot of work. We went through everything I learned in high school biology in the first two weeks of the semester. If it weren't for Maddie and Danny and Dantrell, I'd have never made it."

"Yeah, well, if you want to take Anthropology like you were talking about, you're gonna have to find someone else to help you study there," Danny chuckled, bouncing Carrie on his knee as he spoke. "That's an area none of us ever got into."

"I gotcha covered," Aiden promised cheerily. "It's one of the things I can do with my degree."

"Teach?" Sheldon asked. "You could do that at the college level now."

Aiden nodded. "Some classes I can."

"Or work in a museum, right?" Stella wondered.

"Right," Aiden confirmed.

Don tried to put on a casual face and found he couldn't quite meet her eyes when he posed the next question. "So what _are_ you going to do? I mean, now that you're graduated and everything."

An uneasy hush fell over the table, all minds having wanted to ask the question and all ears waiting to hear the response.

Aiden twisted her napkin in her lap and forced a smile. "Well, I don't know," she began slowly. "I originally enrolled at UVA to do something useful with my life while I wasn't in New York for a while, and I always intended to go back home. But now…" She took a deep breath and sighed. "I've been offered a research assistantship in the Anthro Department here."

Maddie was the first to find her voice. "That's wonderful, Aiden! Congratulations!"

"Thanks," the former detective smiled. "It _is_ pretty cool, actually. It's a good-paying job, and I'd get to keep working in my field instead of waiting tables or something. Plus, the department chairman said I'd be a shoo-in for a spot in the PhD program if I stayed here and put an application in."

"Then we could both be doctors," Sheldon quipped lightly.

She giggled. "Yeah, 'Dr. Burn'…can you imagine?"

Stella reached over and took her hand, squeezing it happily. "Definitely. You've got the brains, Aiden, and the drive. I can totally see you as a PhD."

"You're certainly bossy enough," Danny winked. "All ready to keep those college kids in line."

Aiden turned to Don, who sat beside her quietly still absorbing the new information. "What do you think?" she asked quietly, brushing her fingers gently over his arm. He was the only one yet to speak, and it was his opinion that she was most interested in.

He cleared his throat and smiled. "I'm really excited for you," he told her. "This is a big opportunity."

She studied his face as he spoke, trying to decide if he meant what he said. The smile, though not quite sparkling in his eyes, was indeed genuine and the tone of his voice, though a bit muted, was undeniably happy.

"Well, nothing's been decided yet," she continued, relieved that his initial reaction had been positive. "I still have a few days before I have to give them an answer." Her fingers continued to travel down Don's arm and secured themselves around his hand. "But it's good to know I have so much support."

"Of course you do," Danny told her.

"No matter what you decide," Stella added.

The last remaining drops of tension evaporated with the sound of Carrie's voice calling from Danny's lap. "Hungry, Daddy!" she informed the table, rocking back and forth and nodding her head emphatically.

The group laughed and Aiden distributed menus from the cache between the napkin holders. "Me too!" she grinned. "Let's eat."


	2. The Memory Remains

"You got everything?"

Don looked down at Aiden as they stood at the Amtrak station, waiting for his train. Maddie and Danny had loaded the girls into their car earlier that day and headed back to New York. Stella and Sheldon had followed suit shortly after, but Don had been unable to get as many days off of work as the lab personnel and had taken the train down alone, departing now the same way.

He took her hand in his and smiled softly. _Everything but you. _"Yeah, I think so," he answered. "But if I forgot anything, I'll get it the next time I see you."

She smiled back, half playfully, half girlishly. _Soon, I hope. _"Okay."

A voice over the loudspeaker announced boarding procedures and Don fished his ticket out of his pocket, releasing Aiden's hand to heft his suitcase. "That's me."

She nodded. "Okay," she repeated. "Call me when you get home so I know you made it."

"I will," he promised with a grin. He leaned down and brushed his lips gently over cheek, feeling a tingle on the back of his neck where her fingers slid across his skin in response. "Bye Aid."

"Bye Donny," she smiled, reciprocating with a butterfly kiss to his temple.

He took one last look at her before sighing internally and boarding the train, locating his seat and situating himself next to the window. He rested his head against the pane, banging his temple against the glass when the train lurched forward a few minutes later. Sliding a large hand under his chin, he drifted off into a sea of thought as scenery flew by.

_Is Aiden going to take the job at UVA and stay in Charlottesville? Or is she going to come back home to New York…to me… Does she even still want me?_

He replayed their good-bye kiss over again in his head, feeling her lips on his temple, her hand caressing the back of his neck. He could sense her affection and warmth, knew how much she cared for him. And since she had come to Virginia, he and Aiden had managed to repair most of the holes in their relationship. But it had remained strictly platonic—neither of them had ever even mentioned a possible rekindling of their romance.

_But I bet we're both thinking about it. I know I sure am._

He blew out a breath and shifted in his seat. He loved her. Plain and simple in theory, but in reality it was anything but. She had once confessed to Stella in an e-mail that Don was the love of her life, "the One" as she had put it.

_But does she still feel that way? Her kiss says maybe she does, but the rest of the time she acts like she did before we got involved with each other, when we were just friends. And if she stays in Virginia, I might never know for sure. But if she gives up that job and comes back to New York, I _still_ might never know for sure. We might not ever get past where we are now._

He sighed, stretching out and laying his head back against the seat, remembering what it had been like to have her curled up beside him, her long hair tickling his bare arms, her breathing falling into quite rhythm with his own.

_Or we could end up so much closer…_

∞∞∞

Mac sat at his desk, tiredly flipping through the stack of applications that Human Resources had sent over. The city had finally approved the funding to hire three new lab techs after he had begged for a minimum of five at the last appropriations meeting, and now it was up to him and the shift supervisors to figure out which three made the cut.

"Okay, so who's first?" the day shift leader asked, making himself comfortable in a chair across from the desk.

"Here," Mac answered handing him the applications. "I figure once we separate out the contenders it'll only take us a few days to conduct the interviews. Then we can get this mess over with as soon as possible and get these people in the lab."

"Good," the night guy replied. "If the run time on DNA samples gets any longer, my grandchildren will be picking up the results."

"You ain't kiddin'," the swing shift supervisor agreed, shaking her head. "So who's first in the pile?"

The four CSIs went through every application together as a group, discussing the pros and cons of each candidate, then placing the application in one of the piles designated "yes", "no", and "maybe".

"Okay, the next one is…" The day shift supervisor plucked an application from the pile in his lap and held it up. "Baker, Dantrell Jerome."

"Isn't that the kid that Messer's always braggin' about?" his counterpart on nights wondered.

"Yeah, that's him. The way Danny goes on about him, you'd think the kid was his own flesh and blood."

"You know him, too, don't you Mac?" the swing shift leader asked.

Mac nodded. "For about five years now. He was Maddie Messer's student when he was in high school and stood up in her wedding when she and Danny were married."

"And you think you should recuse yourself, don't you?" the swing shift supervisor continued.

Mac nodded again.

"Do you need to?" the day shift guy queried. "I mean, really Mac. If anyone can be impartial despite a connection with an applicant, it's you."

"Yeah," the night shift manager chimed in. "And you can give us some background on this kid. We can actually make a more informed decision about him."

"You're sure it doesn't bother you that I know him?" Mac asked just to be clear. All three supervisors shook their heads. "Okay. What do you want to know?"

"Just tell us about him," the day shift leader decided. "We have the general stuff here on the app, but we need to know the kinds of things that aren't there."

Mac leaned back in his chair and allowed his mind to wander back five years to the day he met Dantrell. He remembered being struck by the look in the boy's eyes, finding determination and intelligence mixed with just a touch of desperation to get out of a bad situation. Dantrell wanted a better life, for himself if possible and certainly for his family. It was the same look Danny had worn when he first stepped into Mac's office, right down to the developing sense of justice behind it all. And neither of them had ever lost that.

The expression on Mac's face softened, and he found himself becoming a bit sentimental despite his efforts not to. "You want to know what kind of man he is? When you meet him, you'll know…"

∞∞∞

_That good-bye kiss reminds me of the first time I kissed Don…_

Aiden sat on the floor in her living room, smiling as the memory came back to her. It had been their second date, because their first date had ended rather badly when Danny was shot interrupting a robbery. A week later he'd been released from the hospital and had asked Aiden to take him to Eastside High School's graduation ceremony to patch things up with Maddie. Aiden had dutifully complied, picking Don up on the way and bringing him along.

Her smile grew, her mind's eye watching her sit beside Don in the bleachers at the school, grinning with glee when Maddie and Danny picked their way through the crowd, hand-in-hand.

"_Look, they made up!"_

"_So draggin' me all the way over here was worth it, then?"_

She had leaned over and kissed him in response, softly on the cheek, like she'd done it a hundred times before.

"_Absolutely."_

Aiden laughed out loud as she remembered the utter shock on Don's face that day. He had recovered quickly, though, and responded with a kiss of his own.

_Just like at the train station_, she thought, her smile fading a bit. _Soft and warm and loving…if I wasn't already in love with him before, I fell for him that moment in the bleachers. No man kisses like that unless he really means it, and Don always kissed me like that._

Her smile flexed into a frown as another thought invaded her mind. _I wonder if he'll ever kiss me like again…_

"Not if I take the job here in Charlottesville," she said aloud, lolling her head back against the couch. "If I stay in Virginia, I'll pretty much be giving him the old heave-ho. 'Sorry, Donny, I know I said I'd always love you, but I got bigger fish to fry'," she mocked.

Then she tried a different tack. "Maybe he'd understand," she reasoned hopefully. "Maybe he'd even move down here to be near me."

She sighed and covered her face with her hands, her body slumping lower to the floor and her fingers sliding up through her hair. "Yeah, and maybe I'll get drafted by the Giants as a middle linebacker," she snorted. "He wouldn't leave New York…his job, all the people closest to him…"

She sighed again, loudly this time, and hoisted herself off the floor. Pacing around the room, she continued to talk the problem out. "Okay, let's be rational about this—how 'bout a pro/con list? Charlottesville, pros: good job that's in my field of study, good salary, decent benefits, warmer winters, nice little apartment, _way_ lower cost of living, nice new friends, good memories." She reached the end of the living room and spun around, gaining momentum as she spoke. "Charlottesville cons…" She stopped mid-step, the volume of her voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Charlottesville cons: it's not New York."

She plopped down into the nearest chair as realization washed over her. "I want to go back," she knew. "Not just for Don, but all my family and friends…because it's _home_, no matter how much I like living in other places."

Aiden shook her head a little and laughed. "I guess my darling brother Benny gets his wish then…I'll move in with him and wait tables at the diner until I find something else. But," she grinned, feeling the happiness spread through her heart, "I'll be home."

She kicked her feet up on the ottoman and imagined walking through her old neighborhood, through Central Park, down the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, looking out over the water in a hundred different places. She pictured herself cooking dinner with her brother, going to the movies with Stella, babysitting for Maddie and Danny.

And she knew she had made the right choice.

∞∞∞

Sheldon stood in the "back room" of the Crime Lab, holding his timecard in one hand as he stared at the punch clock on the wall. He went through the same process each time he began a shift, had done so every day since she left, but it never got any easier.

_I miss her so much._

It had been over a year since Sarah had broken up with him, but he thought of her every time he punched his timecard. She had been right when she said that he was a workaholic, that he put his job ahead of her. And true to form, he had thrown himself into his work after the breakup, working double shifts as often as he could to keep his mind focused on something other than how much he hurt. Then he'd go out on a call and find himself scanning sidewalks and streets, corridors in buildings, windows, crowds of people, looking for her.

_You'd think that in all the places I've been to on crime scene runs in this city, I'd have at least caught a glimpse of her. But I guess in a city of eight million people, it's easy to hide._

Especially when you knew the person you were hiding from as well as Sarah knew Sheldon. The places he shopped, the restaurants where he ate, the building he worked in, even the route he liked to run to keep himself in shape—she knew them all well, making it almost effortless for her to avoid him.

_Which is why it's been a year since I've seen her. A year without talking to her, touching her, kissing her, holding her…_

He frowned at the time clock, the wrinkle forming on the bridge of his nose that appeared whenever he was concentrating on something—the same wrinkle that Sarah had always told him was so cute, and would kiss with a grin.

_I wonder if I'll ever see her again._

This was the part of the ritual where he felt a little sorry for himself. Danny and Maddie were happily married, Stella and Mac had forged a strong relationship, and even Don and Aiden had become friends again. But he and Sarah were still apart. Sometimes he'd speculate about her life. Was she still cooking? She had loved that as much as she'd loved him. Did she still living in the same apartment she'd had? There had been a flower shop just around the corner that had carried her favorite type of rose.

_Is she with someone else now?_

He tilted his head to the side in a movement designed to kick-start his brain and dispel the self-pity, shoving his timecard into the clock and listening to the machine stamp the time in the proper place.

"Back to work," he muttered wryly. "Duty calls."


	3. The Start of Something Good

A/N: Some decision are made and a little fluff for you too :-)

Enjoy!

* * *

An officer escorted Dantrell to Mac's office, nodding to the CSI as the young man pulled open the glass door.

"You wanted to see me?"

Mac nodded, gesturing to a chair near his desk. "I did. Have a seat, Dantrell."

He did as instructed, glancing nervously around the room. _What couldn't he tell me on the phone? _

"I know you wanted everything associated with your application to be strictly by the book," Mac began, coming around his desk and leaning against it, "but I bent the rules a little anyway, just this once."

_Did I not get the job? Oh God…he's trying to let me down easy! _Dantrell swallowed hard. "I see."

Mac's face broke into a cheerful grin. "The other two offers of employment were made by phone, but I wanted to give you yours in person."

Dantrell's face wrinkled in confusion. "Offer of employment?"

"That's right," Mac told him. "The shift supervisors and I were very impressed with you, Dantrell. The job is yours if you want it."

"Really?"

Mac laughed and extended his hand. "Really."

Dantrell rose from his chair and shook his new boss's hand, a surprised smile tugging at his lips. "Wow! Yeah…uh, I mean, yes, I want the job! Of course I want it…"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Mac chuckled. "You're excited. And you should be—congratulations."

Dantrell beamed proudly. "Thanks…boss."

"You have time for a tour? You'll officially start on Monday, but I thought I'd introduce you around a little today."

"Yeah, sure," the boy answered eagerly.

The pair left the office and strolled slowly through the halls, Mac pointing out important features and people while Dantrell asked hundreds of questions.

"And this…" Mac continued the tour, leading his charge through a door, "is the DNA lab, where you'll be spending most of your time."

"I don't mean to sound so juvenile," Dantrell replied sheepishly, "but this is _so_ _cool_."

"Oh, no, it totally is," a new voice agreed.

Mac smiled. "Dantrell Baker, I'd like you to meet Adam Ross. He's one of our best lab techs."

Adam shook Dantrell's hand, but waived off Mac's praise. "I don't know about 'one of the best'," he said modestly. "But 'pretty darn good' works for me."

"In any case, it's nice to meet you," Dantrell grinned.

"Dantrell is one of our new techs," Mac explained, "so the two of you will probably be spending a fair amount of time together."

"Lookin' forward to it," Adam responded. "Dantrell Baker, eh? Are you the same Dantrell Baker that knows the Messers?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I am. You know them too?"

"Most people know Danny," Adam smirked. "He's the kind of guy that you know by reputation if nothing else. And Maddie's been here a bunch of times too…they way they talk about you, you must be somethin' special…"

This time it was Dantrell's turn to waive off the praise. "Just a hard worker and a fast learner."

"Glad to hear it," Adam replied.

The three men said their good-byes and Mac steered Dantrell down another hallway. "Well, those are the highlights," the detective said. "All that's left is your paperwork."

Dantrell's eyes lit up. "Can we do that today, too?"

Mac chuckled. "Sally in personnel is already waiting for you."

"Great! I just want to make a quick phone call, first…"

"…and share the good news," Mac finished. "Go ahead."

The older man gave the younger one directions to the Personnel Department and walked him out to the lobby. After another enthusiastic handshake, Dantrell bade Mac farewell and flipped open his cell phone. Dialing the number quickly he listened for a moment before a familiar female voice picked up.

"Dantrell?"

"Hey Sayeeda, guess what? I got the job!"

∞∞∞

Aiden took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She stood in her living room staring at the cordless phone in her hand, working up the courage to make one more call.

_You don't have to_, a voice in the back of her mind said. _Danny will tell Don that you're coming back._

_But after everything we've been through together, he deserves to hear it from the source_, another one answered.

She shook out her shoulders, put a determined curl on her lip, and dialed the number.

He picked up on the third ring. "Flack."

"Hey Don, it's Aiden."

He clearly had not bothered to check the Caller ID before answering. "Aiden? Oh…uh…hey…"

"Do you have a second to talk?" she asked steadily.

"I have as long as it takes me to get to Battery Park," he replied.

"Where are you at now?"

He laughed. "Queens."

She grinned in return. "Then you got time."

"So what's up?"

"Well, I…made a decision about the Research Assistant job," she told him, hesitation creeping into her voice.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She paused a moment before continuing. "I turned it down."

He didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "You did?"

"I did," she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "I'm coming back to New York."

He answered very carefully. "Oh."

_Great,_ she thought, _he's deteriorated into one-word responses._ "Yeah," she repeated. "My brother Benny has an extra bedroom and he can get me a job waiting tables at the diner he works in, so I'll have a place to live and a job 'til I find something on my own."

"That's good." She heard him take in a breath and hold it briefly before he spoke again. "So what does that mean?"

"It means," she responded, keeping her voice even, "that I missed my family and my friends and my city, and I'm coming home to be with them. It means that I'll be able to spend more time with the people I care about. That includes you, Don."

She knew he was smiling softly on the other end of the line, but he remained quiet.

That was when Aiden realized he was waiting for another answer, and she understood the question without being asked. "And if you want to know if I still love you, well, that has nothing to do with my leaving Virginia. They're two separate issues." She took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet. _Just tell him._ "But, for the record…I do love you. I never stopped," she said gently.

Again, there was only dead air in reply and she almost hung up, certain that he already had. It wasn't until a car horn sounded in her earpiece that she discovered he was still there.

Finally, she'd had enough silence. "Okay, then. I guess I should go. I'll call you again when I get into town." She pressed her lips together, pulling the phone away from her ear and was just about to hang up when she heard his voice.

"Hey Aid?" It was his turn to pause and gather his confidence. "Just for the record…I love you, too."

He didn't give her a chance to reply, flipping his phone shut and breaking the connection faster than she could process his statement. Slowly she hung up the phone and replaced it on its charger, dropping onto the couch beside it.

And she smiled.

∞∞∞

Maddie trudged down the outer hallway, sighing tiredly as she turned her key in the lock of her apartment door. Pushing the door open, she noticed a dim light pervading the entryway instead of the brightness that was usually present. The whole place was quiet, too, with none of the hustle and bustle of a household that included an independent teenager and an energetic baby.

She closed the door behind her and tiptoed into the living room, soundlessly leaving her school bag and shoes beside her small desk. When she turned around, she discovered the source of the silence. Danny lay on his back, stretched out on the couch clad in an old t-shirt and faded jeans fast asleep, glasses still in place on the bridge of his nose. His arms wound protectively around Carrie, who had conked out on her father's chest, clutching his shirt in her little fists, her eyes buttoned up tight a she slept.

Maddie's heart swelled at the sight of her husband and youngest daughter, and she stood for a moment just watching them sleep serenely. Danny's chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm, a large hand resting gently on Carrie's small back. The child's dark lashes lay against her pale cheeks and a lock of her hair fell across her forehead. Maddie reached over and brushed the fine hair away, planting a tender kiss in its place. Her fingers traveled over Carrie's clothes to Danny's hand, clasping it in hers. Leaning down, she removed his glasses and placed them on the end table beside the couch, leaving a warm kiss on his lips.

Since becoming parents, both Maddie and Danny had become light sleepers, and Maddie's movements woke Danny from his slumber. He inhaled deeply, blinking his eyes open groggily and trying to focus them on his wife.

"Hey slugger," she smiled at him.

A broad grin spread over his face. "Hey yourself, beautiful. How was tutoring?"

"Oh, the usual. The seniors are getting antsy—they want to hurry up and graduate, especially since the college kids are already done. You two have a nice nap?" she chuckled.

The grin widened. "Oops." He glanced down at his daughter. "We just sat down to watch a little TV while Shayla was out with Dantrell, and we must have dozed off. That was…" He sat up a little and found the clock. "…an hour ago. We should probably wake her up, huh?"

Maddie stroked the little toddler and shook her head. "Not yet. I'm sure we'll pay for it later when she won't sleep tonight, but she looks so peaceful."

"Yeah," he agreed softly. "And so small…I can't believe she's fourteen months old already."

Maddie sighed, tilting her head to one side as she studied the child. "I can. She's gotten so big…remember how small she was when she was born? And now she's walking and talking and growing up so fast…"

Her voice trailed off and Danny took her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. He could read the emotion in her eyes, could see what she was thinking. _And we're getting older, too. If we want more kids…_

"There's time," he replied quietly. "It'll be at least three years yet before Carrie starts school…"

Maddie continued to look at their daughter, squeezing Danny's hand in return. "Yeah, I know." _But maybe… Well, we'll see._ She smiled again and turned her attention back to her husband. "You hungry?"

"I could eat." He rose carefully from the couch, grabbing his glasses and walking with Maddie into the kitchen, pausing along the way to lay a still-sleeping Carrie in her playpen. He took his wife's hand again and kissed her hair, expressing his love for her the best way he knew how. "How do nachos sound? I think there's some hamburger in the freezer…"


	4. Hard Day's Night

Every week, the Messer family searched their schedules and found an evening when nobody had plans—Maddie didn't have meetings or school activities, Danny wasn't working the dinner shift, and Shayla didn't have any extracurricular activities or late classes. They blocked off a few hours to spend as a family, to have dinner together, to catch up on each other's lives, to strengthen their ties to each other.

This night was such an evening. Maddie and Danny sat across from each other at the kitchen table, flanked on either side by their daughters. The television was turned off, the cheery clinking of plates and silverware filling the air instead as food was passed from one person to the other.

"So how does it feel to be done with exams?" Maddie asked, handing a bowl of mashed potatoes to Shayla.

Shayla sighed happily. "_So_ good. I've never studied so hard in my life! And now I get a nice, long summer break."

"Not taking classes?" Danny wondered, spooning baby food into a bowl for Carrie.

Shayla shook her head. "Nope. I had a better idea."

Her mother handed her a roll. "What's that?"

She grinned proudly. "I'm getting a job," she announced.

"You're getting a job?" Danny repeated.

"Yes," the girl confirmed. "I'm getting a job. I'm nineteen now, and I haven't ever worked before…"

"There's a reason for that, sweetheart," Maddie interrupted. "With everything you went through…"

Shayla nodded. "But now my family life has settled down—thanks to the two of you—and I think it's time I started taking on a little more responsibility."

"That makes sense," Danny agreed. "And it shows how mature you already are, too."

She beamed at her father's words. "Plus," she continued between mouthfuls, "NYU is expensive, even with the financial aid I get, and money is tight around here. If I get a job, I can use the money for books or for part of tuition…"

"You don't need to worry about that," Danny countered, a little ashamed that he wasn't able to provide better for his family. "You should be concentrating on school and being a kid, not worrying about money."

"But I'm not a kid anymore," she replied resolutely. "I'm an adult now, and I want to be a contributing member to this household."

Her parents paused a moment and exchanged a look across the table. When they went back to dinner, it was Maddie who responded curiously. "So where do you propose to get this job?"

"There's a little grocery store just off campus that's looking for some extra help," she told them. "Someone to stock shelves, help with inventory—that kind of thing."

"This store is in a good neighborhood?" Maddie asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shayla nodded. "There's a coffee shop next door that I stop at all the time on my way to class, one that Dantrell approved of," she smirked, knowing that fact would carry a lot of weight. "In fact, his friend Sayeeda is a cashier at this grocery store."

"That's good," Danny nodded again. "And that's the sixth precinct," he remembered. "I know a couple guys over there…"

"…who just happen to get coffee at the same shop at the same time I do every Thursday morning," Shayla winked. "I'll be fine there…if I get the job. My interview is tomorrow afternoon."

The two adults looked at each other again, conversing with their eyes and coming to a decision.

"Okay," Maddie answered for the both of them. "We'll try it out for the summer and see how it goes. But we'll discuss this again before the fall semester starts."

Shayla's eyes sparkled. "If I get it, it means you'll have to find another babysitter for Carrie…"

"We'll worry about that," Danny reassured her. "You just relax and get ready for that interview.

She grinned in response. "Done."

∞∞∞

The next day, Maddie walked into the lobby of the Crime Lab and smiled brightly at the receptionist. "Hey Margaret, how are you today?"

"Mrs. Messer," the receptionist smiled back. "I'm doing just fine. How are you?"

"I'm on a mission," she winked, leaning against the high front desk, "checking up on one of the new lab techs."

"Dantrell Baker, right?"

"Yep," Maddie confirmed. "Have you heard anything about him yet?"

Margaret smiled. "Just that he's hanging in there—and that Detective Messer's found seven different excuses to see him already today."

"Checking up on him, too," Maddie laughed. "We're a little protective of that boy."

"You want to go up?" the receptionist asked, reaching for the phone. "I'll get someone to escort you…" She stopped when a familiar face came through the entrance. "Oh, wait. Here's Detective Monroe."

"Hi Margaret," a woman about Maddie's height and age called.

"Hello Detective. Are you one your way up to the Lab?"

She nodded. "Yep. Just got back from a scene, and I need to log in the evidence."

"Would you mind walking Mrs. Messer up? She's just making a quick visit."

Detective Monroe glanced over at Maddie and nodded again. "Of course. Follow me."

Maddie waved good-bye to Margaret and headed into the elevator with the detective. She opened her mouth to introduce herself, but her guide beat her to the punch.

"Mrs. Messer, huh? You must be Danny's wife," she began.

"Maddie," she responded. "And you must be the new CSI I've heard so much about."

"Lindsay," she smiled, shaking Maddie's hand. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard quite a lot about you, too. Danny's always bragging about his family—it doesn't take much at all to get him to pull out the pictures he carries around in his wallet."

Maddie laughed. "He's a proud papa alright. He bores everyone to death with stories about the girls."

"And you," Lindsay added. "He's quite proud of you, too. It's really cute, this look that he gets on his face when he talks about you."

Maddie's smile softened. "That's my Danny." She was silent a moment, thinking of her husband, before shifting gears in the conversation. "I understand you're not from New York. How do you like it so far?"

Lindsay smiled brightly. "I love it. I miss Montana a lot, but this place is amazing, and there's so much to do!"

Maddie chuckled. "You know, I said the same thing when I first moved here."

"Really? Where are you from originally?"

"Michigan."

This time Lindsay chuckled. "Well, it's not exactly Big Sky territory, but you're a bit of a country girl, then, too, aren't you?"

Maddie grinned. "I'm from the Detroit area, so I'm more of a city girl, but some of my family lives out in the country so I know my way around a tractor, too."

"You seem to be fitting into this city pretty well," Lindsay continued.

Maddie nodded. "You just have to find someone to show you the ropes, that's all. I was fortunate enough to meet a couple of people at work that helped me out a lot." Her grin returned. "And, of course, there are the folks here at the lab. They're all really wonderful."

"They've been very kind to me so far," Lindsay agreed.

"Well, if anyone gives you any trouble you just let me know. Especially Danny—he likes to tease, sometimes more than he should. We Midwesterners should stick together."

Lindsay giggled. "Maybe we should start a support group. We could call it 'My Accent is Okay, Too'."

The elevator arrived at its designated floor and the door slid open, allowing the two women to exit together, laughing. They continued to chat as they moved down the hallway in search of Dantrell, finding him receiving a tutorial on some piece of equipment from Adam.

He grinned immediately when he saw Maddie. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Interrupting my lesson," Adam mock-whined. "But an interruption from two beautiful women is easy to forgive."

Lindsay smiled approvingly. "Your flirting is getting better, Adam."

"That it is," Maddie laughed.

"Well, I have to get back to work," Lindsay continued. "It was nice to meet you Maddie."

"You too," Maddie replied. "Thanks for walking me up."

"Anytime," she called, heading off with a wave.

Turning back to Dantrell, Maddie grinned again. "So how's the first day going?"

"Good," he told her with a wink. "Except for everyone coming in to check on me."

"I heard Danny's been here once or twice," she chuckled.

"Seven times," Adam chimed in with a frown. "I like Danny and all, but you can only listen to a guy's excuses so many times in a day."

Maddie smothered another grin. "Well how 'bout I make it up to you both. Can I take you out to lunch?"

"It's four o'clock in the afternoon," Dantrell pointed out.

"Okay, dinner later then," she offered. "I'll get the girls, and we'll all go out to celebrate after you get off work. We can even let Danny come along."

"Only if he promises to behave himself," Dantrell smirked. "No teasing."

"I'll see what I can do," Maddie promised.

∞∞∞

Word spread about the celebration dinner, and the entourage grew from Adam, Dantrell, and the Messer family to include Mac, Stella, Don, Sheldon, and Lindsay. They met up at a small diner in Brooklyn, choosing to sit in a particular section and pulling together a couple of tables. It wasn't long before the waitress came over to take their drink orders.

"You guys better be good tippers," she called as she approached.

Mac looked up from his menu and laughed. "Aiden? I didn't know you worked here."

"Come on Mac," she laughed. "You didn't really think the boys wanted to come all the way out to Brooklyn for burgers, did you?"

"The boys?" Don piped up. "How do you know it was 'the boys'?"

"Because I know 'the boys'," Aiden explained patiently. "And I know that it was either you or Danny that dragged the whole group out here."

Stella laughed. "I told you she'd know."

"So tell me quick," Aiden added, flashing a questioning look at Shayla, "before I have to get back to my other tables…how did the interview go at the store?"

The girl smiled broadly. "I got the job!"

"Congratulations!" Aiden exclaimed, hugging Shayla tightly. "That calls for a celebration."

"Along with Dantrell's first successful day at the Lab," Danny interjected.

"And Lindsay's first successful month at the Lab," Adam tacked on.

"And," Don grinned, shifting his gaze back to Aiden, "Aiden's first successful week here at the diner."

"All worth celebrating," Maddie agreed. "And you'll join us when you punch out, right Aiden?"

She nodded. "Yep. Just give me fifteen minutes, and I'm all yours."

"I'll drink to that," Sheldon smiled, raising his water glass in salute.

Don smirked in return and raised his glass as well. "Me too."

"A toast," Lindsay said, picking up her water glass, too. "It's been a hard day's night," she chuckled. "And we've been working like dogs. Here's to a nice evening off."

"Here! Here!" the adults agreed cheerily.

Even little Carrie joined in the clinking of glasses with her sippy cup, giggling. "Here!" she cried with gusto. "Here!"

"Yeah, darlin'," Danny laughed. "Here."

Aiden grinned at her "niece". "With the people that we care about most."

Her statement hung in the air for a moment before Don broke the mood with a lighter comment. "_Hungry_ people that we care about most," he quipped.

She turned back toward the counter, swatting his shoulder on her way past with a smirk. "Comin' right up."

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know Montana isn't technically part of the Midwest, but it's close so I went with it :-) Now what are you sitting around reading author's notes for? Go reivew! 


	5. Let's Talk

A/N: I got this chapter up a little bit earlier than I thought I would. But then again, I'm going on a vacation/business trip for 3 weeks, and I'm not sure how much I'll be online. So if you don't hear from me for a while, I'm just cruising around the country :-) At any rate, here's a little more cuteness for you to enjoy while I'm away...

* * *

Don and Aiden stood in the kitchen together in his apartment, fixing a late lunch before they headed off to their respective places of employment. She was at the counter chopping vegetables for a salad, while he tended to the grilled ham and cheese sandwiches in the frying pan on the stove. Out of the blue, he leaned over and kissed her hair, brushing a hand over her back and whispering in her ear.

"I love you, ya know."

She smiled gently, touching her cheek to his. "I know."

He went back to the sandwiches and remained silent for a moment before taking a deep mental breath. "So what are we going to do about that?" he asked smoothly, without taking his eyes off the frying pan.

"What?" She turned from the salad and leaned against the counter, training her eyes on his face.

He flipped the sandwiches over with a spatula and twisted his head around to meet her gaze. "I said, 'what are we going to do about that'," he repeated evenly.

Aiden tilted her head to one side, a small smile on her lips. "What did you have in mind, Donny? I mean, what do _you_ want for us?" She reached up and rested her hands on his chest. "When I needed time and space you gave it to me," she continued quietly. "When I ran away to Virginia, you let me go without completely letting me go, even though you were hurt and angry. When I wanted back into your life, you let me in and gave me all the room I needed to get comfortable again. And I know you, Don. I know how much you love me, and how hard it was for you to step back and let me do my thing." She slid a hand over the material of his shirt, playing with one of the buttons. "Now I want to know what you want."

He pressed his lips together in thought, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I don't want to rush you into anything…"

"Don't think about that," she instructed. "Just tell me what you want for us, right at this moment."

He paused a minute more before speaking. "I want to wake up beside you every morning," he told her, looking into her dark eyes. "I want to see your clothes hanging in the closet next to mine. I want your leftovers in the fridge, your dirty dishes in the sink…your delicates hanging all over the apartment to dry," he laughed. "Because all that means you're here with me."

"You want to move in together?"

Her face was completely neutral, and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. _Did I scare her?_ "Yes," he replied lightly, running a hand over her back. "You've grown so much since you went to Charlottesville. You're stronger now, and more open. I trusted you with my life before, Aid. But I trust with my heart again—I know it's in good hands."

She grinned. "Then let's do it."

"Really?" His voice showed more of his surprise than he meant it to.

"Yeah really," she responded, her grin widening. "In fact, I was hoping you'd say that. I miss you, miss being around you. And I trust you with my heart, too. All the way this time." She leaned up and kissed him, still smiling when she pulled away.

"On one condition, though," he decided.

She studied his face. "What's that?"

"No secrets," he told her. "We tell each other everything—about work, about life, about each other. It's the only way, Aid."

"You're right," she agreed. "And I want to make this work."

"Me too. So do we have a deal?"

Her grin returned. "I'll start looking for apartments after work today."

He chuckled. "You don't want to live here?"

"I think," she began, becoming serious, "that we should get a place that neither of us has lived in before. Someplace that isn't yours or mine, but a place that we can move into for the first time together."

"Like a fresh start," he added, straightening up.

She nodded. "Like a fresh start. It just might take a while to find something we can afford…"

"If there's one thing I've learned in the last three years," he told her, "it's that good things are worth waiting for. And you are the best thing in my life."

She leaned up for another kiss. "You are definitely the best thing in mine."

∞∞∞

"Hey Mac," Stella greeted him, walking into his office. "I got a hit off the DNA we found at the hit-and-run from this morning."

He looked up from the file he was reading and smiled. _I am the luckiest man alive_. "Who?"

"Covan Cormier," she replied. "He was convicted of assault two years ago…his DNA was in CODIS."

"Good. Maybe we have a witness."

"Or a suspect." His voice was steady, but Stella noticed the far-away quality in his eyes. "What's up, Mac?"

"Hmm?" He re-focused his gaze on her.

She smiled. "You're not thinking about the hit-and-run. What's on your mind?"

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Do you remember Reed Garrett?"

"The kid that was following me because he thought I was Claire, his biological mother," she recalled. "Yeah I remember him."

"He called me this afternoon." Mac paused to gather his thoughts, and Stella didn't interrupt. "He asked if I would meet him for a burger tomorrow. I think he has some more questions about her."

She took a seat in one of the chairs opposite his desk. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him I'd meet him. He has a right to know about his family."

"Yes he does, and I'm glad you're willing to provide him with that information." She glanced down at her hands clasped in her lap. "I know what it's like not to know anything about where you came from."

He nodded in response, leaning forward again. "I figured you'd identify with Reed."

"And you do, too, don't you?" she countered gently. "You both lost the same woman." She studied his face, wondering what was going on in his mind. "Is that why you're having a hard time with this? Because he reminds you of Claire?"

He looked at her, surprised. "No," he answered. "No…my memories of Claire aren't painful anymore."

She leaned forward, reaching across the desk and touching his arm. "Then what is it?"

Mac frowned and sighed again. "I guess…I feel like…like I'm neglecting you by spending time with Reed. No, wait," he corrected. "That isn't right. Not 'neglecting'…more like…like…" He struggled for a moment to find the right word before landing on it. "More like 'betraying'. I feel like I'm betraying you."

"Because he's Claire's son."

He nodded mutely.

Her hand slid from his arm to his fingers, grasping them in hers and squeezing affectionately. "We've been over this, Mac," she scolded softly. "She was your wife…of course you still love her…"

"I know. And I want Reed to know her—I want to give him that as best I can, but it doesn't seem fair to you. You're the woman in my life now, and I feel a little awkward being with you…and spending time with her child."

She walked around the desk and leaned against it, brushing a hand over his shoulder. "I knew her, too, Mac. She was my friend, remember? And I miss her. But depriving Reed of his birth mother isn't going to make you and I miss her less, or make anything less awkward."

"You're right, of course," he smiled, finding her green eyes with his blue ones.

"It's just—"

"—going to take some time, yes I know," he finished for her, smiling. "It helps knowing that you're okay with this, though."

"You'd be okay too, if our roles were reversed," she told him matter-of-factly. She patted his shoulder and smiled, rising from the desk and heading out the door. "Let me know how it goes, huh?"

He watched her go. _I really am the luckiest man alive._ "I will."

∞∞∞

Across town, Danny sat with Maddie at an outdoor café, grabbing a bite to eat between cases with her on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Shayla was working a shift at the store, and Sheldon had offered to watch Carrie for an hour to give the pair some alone time together. Without the kids around, Maddie decided it would be a good time to have a conversation they had only briefly broached before.

Her eyes drifted over to a young father at a nearby table, trying vainly to juggle a knife and fork for his lunch with the infant in his arms. She smiled absently, remembering Danny trying the same thing when Carrie was small. Turning to her husband, she opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the sound of his voice.

"Cute, isn't it?" he chuckled. "Not so much when you're actually trying to eat with a squirmy baby in your arms, but cute when you're watching someone else do it."

She grinned. "You're always cute with the girls," she told him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing.

"Of course I am," he laughed. "And I never get dirty, either. But that poor schmoe already has food all over his shirt."

"Never get dirty, eh?" she countered with a smirk. "I seem to remember a certain green t-shirt that was christened with baby formula when Carrie was about three weeks old…and then again a week later when Shayla had the stomach flu…"

He held up his hands in a defensive posture. "Okay, okay. So I get dirty, too. But I got better with a little practice." He noticed the distant look return to her eyes and reached for her hand again, taking it in both of his across the table. "What?"

She re-focused on Danny. "Would you do it again?"

"The girls? Absolutely—you know I would."

Her voice was low when she responded. "Even with all the worry and stress…the pregnancy, the delivery, the tight household budget…even with what happened to Adam?"

"Even then." He moved to the chair beside her and cupped her chin lightly. "I wouldn't trade our family for anything," he told her quietly, remembering the baby boy they almost had while simultaneously thanking God for the daughters they did have.

"Would you do it all over again…with a third child?"

"Are you…?" He searched her face for an answer to his unspoken question. What he got was a smile.

"No," she said. "Not pregnant. But I was thinking that, if we wanted to go that route again, maybe this time we could plan it."

He laughed again, this time with a note of relief. "That would be nice," he grinned. "Not that the surprise wasn't good, too. But it would be pretty cool to have some control over our lives for a change, huh?"

"Yeah, it would," she agreed with a twinkle in her blue eyes. "But it's something we need to talk about. I mean, do you even want to have another baby? Have you thought about it at all?"

"Yeah," he confessed. "Especially since the night you came home and caught me napping with Carrie. You were right when you said she was growing up fast, and I know we're getting older, so if we're going to have more it'll have to be soon."

"But this isn't a decision we can make lightly," she responded. "We're talking about a life here."

"You _know_ we're not making light of this," he reminded her softly. "We both know how important life and family are."

Maddie nodded, scooting her chair a little closer to his. "That's why I want to add to it."

Danny smiled. Not the quick grin he flashed when making a joke or the crooked one he used when he was being charming, but the smile that he saved only for his wife, the one that let her know how much he loved her without ever saying a word. "That's the best reason to have a baby." He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, smiling more broadly when she kissed him back.

"So what do you think?" she asked.

His eyes were bright when he answered. "I think we're ready for another one." His smile morphed into a mischievous grin, then, and his lips found her temple as he whispered in her ear, "Should we get started now?"

Maddie laughed cheerily. "Maybe we better wait until _after_ you're off the clock."


	6. Bad Day

A/N: Found some time (and a computer) to get this next chapter posted for you. I'll update again as soon as I can :-)

* * *

The scene was one of the worst they'd ever processed. Even Mac, who'd handled hundreds of brutal murders, paled distinctly as the six of them stood together in the living room of the house. A man and his pregnant wife lay dead on their bedroom floor, while down the hall their small son had met the same fate in his room. The daughter had miraculously survived, and was on her way to the closest emergency room, but her injuries were severe and no one knew how much longer she would live.

Mac sighed internally. _Okay, let's get to work. _He turned to Stella and opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

"I want the daughter," she insisted.

Mac merely nodded, having known she would want to be with the living. "Take Flack with you."

The young detective nodded and walked with Stella out to the car, his radio already cued up to find out where the ambulance was headed.

"Lindsay, you and Hawkes take the perimeter," Mac instructed.

Sheldon nodded, too. "You got it." He touched Lindsay's elbow, prompting her to drag her eyes away from the mass quantities of blood splattered on the floor.

"Danny," Mac continued giving out assignments, "why don't you take the son's room. I'll handle Mr. and Mrs. Donovan."

The two men exchanged glances and parted company, taking deep mental breaths, steeling themselves for the horror that they knew was waiting for them.

∞∞∞

The end of the shift found them reconvening at their usual hangout—a bar called Charlie's—in an attempt to unwind from this particularly brutal day. Don sat with four of the CSIs, a beer in one hand, his cell phone in the other. Flipping it closed, he shook his head.

"Aiden doesn't get off work for another hour," he explained. "So she's not coming tonight."

Danny joined the group and plopped down in a chair beside his friend. "Maddie, either. Carrie's bein' all fussy and stubborn, and Shayla's workin' tonight so she can't watch her sister."

Sheldon grinned. "Fussy and stubborn, eh?"

"I wonder where she gets that from," Stella finished with a chuckle.

Danny smiled, but his response was muted. "As long as she's healthy."

The team passed the time as lightly as they could, trying to push away the images of the crime scene and trade them in for visions of family and friends. Unfortunately, the plan didn't work as well as they'd hoped, and soon the group began to disburse.

Mac and Stella were the first ones to leave, glancing at each other and communicating silently their desire to be away from there.

"I think we're going to call it a night," Mac said, speaking their decision to the rest of the table. "Try and get some sleep tonight. We'll get back at it in the morning." He rose with Stella, resting his hand on the small of her back as he led her to the car.

Don followed suit shortly after that, glancing at his watch. "Aiden should be off by now," he said, "and I have this strong need to tell her I love her."

His statement hit Sheldon hard, and the former pathologist stood quickly, too. _I wish I could tell Sarah how much I love her. _"I'm gonna go home and go for a run," he told his friends instead, "and work off some of this nervous energy."

That left Lindsay and Danny alone at the table.

"What'd'ya think?" Danny asked, turning to her. "You ready to go, too, Montana?"

Lindsay shook her head. "A few more minutes?" she pleaded.

_She doesn't have anyone to go home to_, Danny realized. _I'm all the company she has tonight._ Gesturing at the waitress, he smiled at his colleague. "Sure. A few more minutes."

∞∞∞

Rather than going home where it would be quiet and the gravity of the day's work would set in, Mac and Stella drove instead to an old theater on the other side of town. It was a place where only the manager knew them, where no one else would think to look for them. They bought tickets for whatever was showing on the one screen and found seats toward the back of the nearly empty room.

They scanned the previews for movies that had been released ages ago, watched the cartoon soda can and dancing popcorn box tell them to pick up their trash after the movie, and pretended to pay careful attention to the opening scene of the film.

The ruse lasted only fifteen minutes.

Mac noticed a tear slip from his blue eyes and run down his cheek, feeling deep within his soul what the Donovan girl would feel if she regained consciousness and learned that she had lost the people closest to her in the world. He had first hand knowledge of those emotions.

Stella caught sight of the tear and brushed it gently away. Her gesture was meant as a comfort—she recognized the expression on his face—but instead it triggered a series of subsequent tears, spilling from his eyes before he could stop them.

Matching tears sprung to Stella's eyes, knowing, too, what it was like to be all alone in the world, the pain invading her heart like a conquering army. She wrapped her arm around Mac, combing her fingers through his short hair and pulling him to her.

Together, without speaking a word, they sat in the back of the theater, clinging to each other, mourning the little girl's loss.

∞∞∞

Don turned the key in the lock of his apartment, smiling softly as he entered. The smell of greasy cheeseburgers from the diner where Aiden worked wafted through the air, accompanied by the sound of a basketball game on TV.

"Hey handsome," she greeted him, standing on her toes to kiss him hello. "I hope you don't mind me coming over like this."

"Not at all," he replied, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her back. "I was going to call you anyway."

She broke away and brushed a hand over the back of his neck, concern filling her eyes. "You just sounded so…like you had a rough day today, so I got the super to let me in."

"Well remind me to get you a key." He kissed her briefly again and walked with her into the living room, dropping onto the couch and pulling her down beside him. He let out a long, slow breath. "Yeah. Today was a tough one."

Aiden curled up next to him, draping his arm around her shoulders and resting her head against his chest. For a long while they sat in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. It had been so long since she'd been in his position she'd almost forgotten what it was like. And he was in no hurry to remind her.

Finally, she broke the ice. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," he shook his head. "I don't want to involve you in this."

"Don, it's okay," she said, rising to her knees to look him square in the eye. "I saw it on the news—this was a bad one, and you need to talk about it before it eats you up inside."

He stroked her hair lovingly, knowing she was speaking from experience. "I don't want to hurt you, or put you back in the place you were before you went to Virginia. I-I think I'm trying to protect you, Aid. This _was_ a bad one—a _really_ bad one."

"You don't have to protect me," she reassured him. "I can handle it." He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she nodded. "I'm sure. I've worked out a lot of things since I left. And I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything…that was part of our deal, remember? We tell each other everything."

Don pressed his lips together and frowned. _She's right._ "Okay, but if you start feeling overwhelmed…"

"…I'll let you know," she promised.

She settled down beside him again, listening to his halting words. His arm tightened around her and she tried to impart comfort through her touch, supporting him the way he had always supported her.

∞∞∞

Danny, too, inserted the key into the lock of his apartment and turned it, having dropped Lindsay off on his way home. But instead of cheeseburgers and basketball, he was greeted by darkness and silence. All the lights in the apartment were off except for the small bulb over the kitchen sink. He smiled a little when he saw it—that had always been Maddie's welcome home signal.

He clicked the light off and moved quietly through the apartment, peeking his head inside the girls' bedroom to find both his daughters sleeping soundly. Carrie lay on her back in her crib, the fuzzy purple elephant Don had given her held tightly in her fist. On the other side of the room, Shayla was curled up in her own bed, her work uniform in a heap on the floor next to her. He grinned, kissing them each on the forehead before making his way to the master bedroom.

Maddie sat up in bed, the dim lamp on her nightstand lighting the room just enough for her to see the pages of the book she was reading. Or was trying to read, Danny noticed. Her eyes moved back and forth over the page, but they were vacant and uncomprehending.

"Hey babe," he called softly.

The emptiness in her eyes was swallowed up by love and relief at the sound of his voice. "Danny," she smiled. "You're home."

He pulled off his shirt and shoes and climbed on top of the covers, leaning in to kiss his wife as he lay down beside her. "I'm home."

She touched his cheek tenderly, kissing him again and drawing strength from him as he drew it from her. "I hear you had a bad one today," she told him when their lips parted.

"Family murdered in their own home," he confirmed, sighing tiredly. "I heard you had a pretty rotten one today, too."

Maddie nodded in reply, placing her book on the nightstand and laying down. "Knife fight in the parking lot after school."

Danny shifted positions on the bed and slid his arms around her, her hand coming to rest on his chest in response. He felt the gentle rhythm of her breathing as she lay in his arms, finding solace there when he could find it in no other place. The steady beating of his heart under her fingertips, in turn, reassured her that they would deal with this day, too, as they had all the others—together.

∞∞∞

Despite leaving the bar before Danny and Lindsay, Sheldon was the last to arrive home. He had traveled slowly on purpose, partly out of the anger and grief that had filled him at the crime scene, but also out of avoidance. He knew that Mac and Stella would deal together with the horrors they had witnessed, that Don would go home to Aiden, that Danny had Maddie and their daughters. He knew that Lindsay would probably pick up the phone as soon as she walked in her door and wake up someone who cared about her in Montana, someone who would sympathize with her and soothe her.

But Sheldon's best consolation had come from a source no long available to him. Sarah had always been there for him, no matter the time or what kind of day she'd had herself. If he had worked a particularly bad crime scene, her first priority would become his welfare.

_But I didn't do that for her in return, and now she's gone._

He stood outside the door of his apartment, knowing Sarah was not there waiting for him. He couldn't call her, he couldn't go to her, couldn't even bring himself to say her name aloud anymore. It had been so long since she'd left, but still the pain lingered, intensified by the need for her this day had brought.

Frowning, he forced himself to open the door and enter the apartment, dropping his bag listlessly in the entryway and heading for the bedroom. Very mechanically, and with little conscious thought, he changed into sweats and sneakers and fled from the building. Perhaps if he ran hard enough, the hurt from the case—from his life—would go away.


End file.
